Liquid Courage
by tanglingshadows
Summary: Beth thinks Daryl needs a little push in the right direction when it comes to their relationship, but she should have known moonshine wasn't the best idea... AU/No ZA
1. Chapter 1

Liquid Courage

This one shot came from a discussion I had a few weeks ago with PC 608, and this is what come from that that plot bunny.

I hope you enjoy it. Thank you, Jen, for editing! I love you. You're the best!

Warnings: Shameless smut, {gratuitous} violence **whispers** Not really. Just a little nod to Murphy for you :)

* * *

Daryl Dixon hadn't known what he was getting into the night he took Beth Greene home from the dive bar she'd wandered into.

She looked sweet as pie, and she damn sure tasted like it. He knew. Several times over.

Still, he figured she was twenty-two and trying to piss off her daddy by getting with him.

He was thirty-six, driving the same hand-me-down bike and working at the same body shop he had been at for the last ten years.

Daryl was the definition of _going nowhere_.

She kept coming back, though. Even after he told her he wasn't going to be taking her out for fancy dinners or holding her hand like some whipped pussy.

Beth had shrugged and said, "Give it time, Dixon."

Everyone knew they were together. They met at the local diner or had drinks at the bar on Fridays. Her car was parked in front of his apartment more often than not.

It had been nearly seven months into whatever it was they were doing when her daddy showed up at his work, wanting to talk with him. Daryl had slipped out the back door as soon as Hershel Greene stepped out of his truck.

Beth had laughed at him for several minutes that evening when he told her. "Ya know, he just wanted to invite ya to dinner."

"Done told ya—I don't do dinner with tha parents."

Beth had stood up and pulled on her coat. "It would be dinner with _parent_. Singular. My momma's been dead a while, Daryl. Anyway, what's tha big deal? It won't kill ya. Ya sit over here in this apartment, waitin' on me to come visit, but ya won't give in a little? I'm tha one makin' this relationship happen. I'm makin' all tha sacrifices. Everyone looks at me like I'm some booty call since ya barely acknowledge me in public."

Daryl had started chewing on his thumbnail. He hated confrontation, especially with her. "Ya don't like it, don't come back."

Beth stared at him for several seconds before she shook her head. "After all these months, I mean nothin' to ya?"

"Didn't say that," he muttered, feeling guilty. She meant a whole hell of a lot to him.

"I need a damn drink," she said and turned for the door. He didn't stop her and flinched when she slammed it behind her.

* * *

She was fed up with his bullshit.

When she was eighteen, she saw Daryl for the first time and knew that one day she was going to have him for herself.

Even though she'd wanted to chase him down then, she waited and played the good girl—went to college, got her degree, and then came back home.

She started working at the local dance studio, offering vocal lessons on the side. The studio owner even let her use the upright in the unoccupied room to give piano lessons.

It wasn't a very well-paying job, but she made it, paycheck to paycheck, on her own.

A couple of weeks after she'd moved back home, she put on her tightest jeans, paired with a cute little crop top and cowboy boots, and found Daryl Dixon in the most questionable bar she had ever seen.

It was more like a shack in the woods, and she was pretty sure there'd been a distillery out back, but the law never came around to check. Hell, most of them were customers.

That had been the best night ever.

Until the day she died, she would never forget the sound he made as she undid his jeans and took him in her mouth while he drove them back to his place.

Beth hadn't known where the courage came from but figured it was courtesy of the clear liquid that tasted like straight rubbing alcohol she had been sipping all evening.

The first time, they hadn't even make it out of the truck. He yanked her jeans down and off one leg and pulled her to straddle him. Crop top got pushed up and bra, down.

She was surprised no one had caught them.

Now she was just tired of it all and ready to cause some trouble.

If Daryl thought she was just going to sit back and let him pretend they didn't matter, she was about to give him something real to consider.

A man always showed his true feelings when he was jealous, and Beth knew after their little spat, he would go running to that shine shack in the woods to get drunk with his brother.

She also knew there were plenty of men there who would be very happy to show her the attention she needed to light a fire under Daryl's ass.

Call it juvenile all you wanted, this plan was straight out of her big sister's book and a proven winner.

She slipped on those same skintight jeans she wore the first time and the cowboy boots. She went with one of Daryl's button-downs, which she tied up under breasts and rolled up the sleeves.

Her hair was purposefully wild, and the bright red lipstick was a gift from Maggie at Christmas when she still hadn't known she was dating Daryl.

"It's to get ya laid," she had told Beth, who had commented on the bright shade.

Beth took a deep breath, giving herself a once-over in the mirror. She ignored that twinge of self-doubt that told her she was being ridiculous and grabbed her purse.

She had to do it before she lost her nerve.

* * *

It was unusual for his brother to show up alone on a Friday night. That blonde was always with him whenever he went out, and he and Daryl rarely got drunk together anymore.

Merle imagined if he had that pussy waiting on him, he wouldn't have wanted to get lit with Daryl, either.

The moment Daryl stomped into the bar, Merle knew it was more than Beth being busy with her family that had him alone.

He went straight to the bar and threw back a few shots before grabbing two beers and walking to the table Merle was currently occupying with a lovely working girl named Candy.

She wasn't sweet, but she sure was cheap and that's what kept Merle coming back.

His vices were running his ass into the ground when it came to money.

"Well, Darylina, you're lookin' awful lonely this evenin'."

"Fuck off," he growled and took a few deep pulls from his beer.

"I ain't one to pry, but what crawled up your ass?"

Daryl huffed out a breath. "Beth."

Merle smirked. "Now, I always thought it was tha other way around."

Daryl slammed down his beer. "She wants too much. Naggin' my ass about meetin' her daddy."

Merle wrapped an arm around Candy, and she slid her hand along his thigh. "That's why ya need a girl like my Candy. We ain't go no expectations at all."

Daryl shot him a dirty look, and Merle couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, baby brother," Merle said, shaking his head. At that moment, the door to the bar opened again and Beth strutted in, ass and hips just swaying. He was hard, and it wasn't because Candy was inching her way up toward his dick. "You're fucked."

* * *

Every eye in the place was on her—except Daryl's. His back was to her, but judging by Merle's shit-eating grin, that wouldn't last much longer.

"I want some of that apple shine," she told Dale, the bartender.

"Oh, darlin'," he said quietly. "What're ya tryin' to prove?"

Beth took the first small sip and then another bigger one.

"I'm about to bring Daryl Dixon to his knees."

Dale just looked at her with wide eyes and shook his head.

"Lord help us tonight," he muttered.

* * *

At first, he thought he was hallucinating.

His Beth wouldn't dress like that to come out to a bar, and she definitely wouldn't be wearing lipstick that was only made to leave a mark on on a man's dick.

The more he stared the more he realized he wasn't seeing shit and Beth didn't have some slutty twin she'd been hiding.

His shirt fell off one shoulder as she laughed at what some tool beside her was saying.

She had to have known he was watching her; hell, he was staring a damn hole into her back. She never looked at him, though.

Then that asshole skimmed a hand across the exposed skin of her back, and Daryl was about to pop out of his chair when a friend of Candy's landed in his lap, crushing his hard on and making him cringe.

"Fuck, woman." He curled over a little as he lost his breath.

"Need some help with that?" she whispered into his ear, and her hand went to his neck.

He was about to tell her to back off when he caught a flash of blonde out of the corner of his eye and the woman was yanked off his lap.

"Bitch fight!" some guy yelled from behind him.

The alcohol slowed him down, and the peals of Merle's laughter made him feel like he was in some alternate reality.

Men gathered around the women wrestling on the floor, and Daryl pushed through the crowd to see Beth grab a handful of the woman's hair and pull her back to the ground while the woman clawed at Beth's hand, leaving nasty welts up her arm.

"Let go, ya crazy bitch," the woman hollered, and Beth pushed her down hard.

"Keep your dirty fuckin' hands off my man."

"He didn't seem to mind," she taunted, and Beth lunged forward, but Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back to his chest.

"Ya need to calm your ass down. What tha fuck's gotten into ya?"

"Ya let me go, Daryl. I've had it with you!" she yelled, trying to squirm out of his grasp.

The guy from the bar tried to grab her arms and pull her away, and Daryl lost his shit, dropping Beth to the floor and tackling the guy who had been putting moves on her for the last twenty minutes.

* * *

Beth's ass hurt from the impact, but that was forgotten as soon as Daryl took off after the man she'd been talking to.

It certainly wasn't a girl fight, either. Where she and that whore had been pushing, slapping, and scratching, Daryl and this guy where rolling around and throwing punches left and right.

It didn't seem like anyone was going to help break them up, but then Merle pushed through the crowd and tugged his brother off the other guy.

"Done enough damage, little brother."

Daryl was breathing heavy, and his fists were bloody. His opponent was sitting up, trying to stop his nose from bleeding.

"Fuckin' asshole," he muttered and let another guy help him to his feet.

"Shoulda learned not to touch thangs that ain't yours way back in kindergarten."

The guy flipped Daryl off and walked away.

When he turned toward her, she just stared, her mouth hanging open at the fire in his eyes. She wasn't surprised at all when he grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the bar and around back.

* * *

His heart was racing and the adrenaline from the fight was coursing through his veins.

Daryl pushed her into the wood siding of the building and pressed every inch of his body into hers.

"What tha fuck were ya thinkin' comin' here dressed like that?"

Beth pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and shrugged.

"Only reason I can think of is ya wanted to get fucked." She traced her tongue over the lip she had been biting. "Or maybe you're tryin' to drive me crazy."

"Maybe I wanted both."

Daryl leaned down and pressed several hard, dragging kisses along her neck, scraping his teeth just enough to make her shiver.

"I've been crazy since tha first night I brought ya home with me."

"Oh really?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even but failing.

Daryl flicked the button on her jeans open and slid his hand straight down into her panties. There wasn't much room to move at all, but he was able to rub his forefinger over her clit.

"Girl, always gettin' ya naked in public. Ya need to learn to wear skirts."

Beth laughed and kicked off one boot while he pulled down the leg of her jeans.

The cool air hit her skin and goosebumps popped up along her legs and arms.

"Ya barely covered up," he mumbled and stuck his hand right back into her underwear.

"Ya did it. Not me."

"Ya came here lookin' for a reaction. Ya got it."

Before she could say anything, he slid two fingers inside and curled them as he went.

"Daryl," she gasped and gripped his wrist.

His lips covered hers and he pumped his fingers in and out, bringing her right to the edge before he pulled away.

When his pants were around his thighs, he picked her up and pressed her back into the building.

"This ain't hurtin' ya, right?"

"Hell no," she whispered. "Please don't stop."

"Line me up, then." His voice was thick, and he leaned just far enough away for Beth to put her hand between them, push her panties aside, and get him where he needed to be.

As soon as she moved her hand, he slammed into her. She threw her head back and moaned so loud he knew the people inside heard it.

* * *

Now this was what she wanted.

Beth wanted him absolutely wild for her, and the fact that he was screwing her behind the bar made her feel like she had accomplished her goal.

Daryl was kissing her neck and nipping at the skin. Every time he breathed against her, she clenched a little tighter around him.

It wasn't going to be much longer until she came, and she probably wouldn't able to walk right for the rest of the night.

Just when she thought he couldn't go harder, he did, and their groans and skin slapping were the only sounds she could hear, despite the fact that they played the jukebox in the bar at top volume.

"Open up your shirt," he said, completely out of breath. She did as he said and then wrapped her arms back around his neck. "Take your tits out. Wanna see 'em bounce."

She hated that word, but when it came from his mouth in that gruff, cigarette-roughened voice, she got even wetter.

Once her bra was pushed away, he watched for a second, his hands digging into her hips, moving her and keeping her against the wall at the same time.

Then he leaned down and sucked her nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sensitive skin.

Beth pressed her forehead to the top of his head and tangled her fingers in his hair.

She lasted two more thrusts before the sensations all became too much and she came, gasping and groaning, her thighs locked around his hips.

"Fuck," he breathed against her chest. Daryl pushed his face into her neck and let go, slamming into her with an uneven rhythm until he moaned against her jaw and his motions stilled, as deep in her as he could be.

* * *

They stood there for several seconds, catching their breaths, before Daryl slowly set her on her feet.

Beth smirked as she leaned against the building, rubbing her bottom lip with her fingers.

"That was good," she said with a grin. "I should get ya worked up more often."

"Ya ever let another man come on to ya like that and I'll bend ya over my knee before I fuck ya."

Beth's cheeks darkened. "I just wanted ya to see how much I mean to ya."

"I already know that," he said quietly, pulling up his jeans and buckling his belt.

Beth righted her clothes and asked, "What about the woman that was on your lap?"

"She was drunk and knocked me in tha balls when she fell on me. I couldn't breathe, and when I was about to help her off, ya yanked her by her hair."

Beth seemed a little embarrassed. "I do crazy thangs when I drink moonshine."

"Ya got in a bar fight for me."

"I don't want no one else touchin' ya."

"Same here," he said, straightening her shirt a bit better, and then he brushed the hickey he'd made on the side of her throat.

"We should go home," she whispered. "I'm tired now."

"Your place or mine?"

She shrugged and took his hand. "Don't really matter. Drive my car, and we'll get your bike tomorrow."

Daryl nodded, and she leaned against him as they walked around to the front.

She hadn't said it to him and he hadn't said it out loud to her, but he was in love with this crazy girl.

"Maybe we can get it after we have dinner with your pops?" he asked quietly.

Beth stumbled a little but didn't stop walking.

"Yeah," she said and squeezed his hand. "That'd be perfect."


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

I wanted to write something in celebration of the "Still" anniversary, so here this is!

It's smutty goodness. And I hope you find it as funny as I did.

* * *

He had been over to Sunday dinner a few times, and it got easier with each go. Hershel was a simple man, and if Beth was happy, he was happy. He didn't put much stock in Daryl's last name and really liked the idea that Daryl could take care of them if all hell broke loose.

The second Sunday he had been over, he found out that Hershel Greene was a prepper. As in, doomsday prepper. As in, the man's entire basement was filled with canned food, canning supplies, seeds, and toilet paper to last from now until Daryl was too old to wipe his own ass.

Daryl had perfected his poker face over the years, and he was glad he had because when Hershel said that he could hunt food for them when the time came, Daryl just nodded his head and said, "Yes, sir."

That earned him a clap on the back and real big smile.

It was Sunday again, and they were about to leave for dinner from Beth's apartment. She was running around in her panties and his tshirt, taking a casserole out of the oven while getting ready. He couldn't cook for shit, and he would just try to get her out of her clothes, so Daryl sat on the couch and watched her.

"Daddy said somethin' about ya helpin' him with somethin' in tha barn," she said as she yanked up her jeans. If he hadn't seen her pull them on, he would have thought they were painted on, they were that damn tight.

She walked past him and he reached out, slapping her ass as she went. Beth groaned and pulled her hair back, "Ya always gotta do that?"

"When ya wear those jeans I do."

Beth rolled her eyes. "Will ya help him?"

Daryl nodded.

"Thank ya," she said and kissed him quickly. "He hasn't been tha same since we lost momma. He just needs somethin' to fill his time with."

He snorted. "Your old man was crazy long before your momma died. I've seen tha shit down in his basement. That collection takes time to aquire."

She shrugged and placed tinfoil over the casserole dish. "I made ya green bean casserole."

"So, whatever he got must be a lotta work."

"Why do ya say that?" She asked, ignoring his tone completely.

"Ya hate green beans. Cain't stand tha sight of 'em. Act like a damn kid when ya see 'em. Now you're makin' me my favorite right before we go over to your daddy's, who says he needs some help with somethin' he just bought. Hell, I heard ya in there gaggin'. So whatever your daddy's got in his head is probably fucking nuts."

"Daryl, don't call him names."

He cuts his eyes at her but nodded.

"Now, hold this. It's disgustin'."

She pushed the glass dish into his hands and grabbed her purse.

Daryl followed her out the door and into the sweet, spring air. He wanted to go camping soon, and figured if he got her in just the right moment, she'd say yes.

When they got to Hershel's farm, Beth hopped out of the truck and ran for her daddy. She always hugged him like she hadn't seen him in years, and Daryl knew that she had him wrapped around her finger.

Sweet, little Bethy. Always the angel and never doing wrong.

Daryl knew better, but he figured it was always better that parents didn't know what went on behind the closed doors of their grown children. The door in question being one that was slowly becoming _their_ door, and less of _hers_.

"Daryl, son, it's good to see ya," Hershel greeted him, his arm still wrapped around Beth.

"You, too, sir. How's that leg treatin' ya?"

Hershel lifted up his pants leg and tapped the aluminum prosthetic with his cane. "Very nice. Don't pinch like tha last one."

"Good," Daryl said and handed Beth the dish.

"Maggie's comin' for dinner tonight," Hershel said in passing as they moved onto the porch.

It wasn't that Daryl hated Maggie, she was just a pain in his ass. Always bitching about him not being serious about her sister.

Daryl had never been one for public displays of anything, and after that night against the bar, he walked around with a permanent blush on the tips of his ears whenever they went for a drink there. They may have gotten a little too loud and gave the bar a bit of a show.

"She's bringin' a nice young man from Atlanta with her."

"That's great!" Beth said excitedly. "What's his name?"

"Glenn," Hershel said and then lowered his voice. "He's Asian so be prepared."

Daryl snorted. "Ya done got me confused with my brother if ya think I'm gonna come in here wearin' a white sheet or some shit like that, Hershel."

Hershel narrowed his eyes. "Even your brother wouldn't do that. He's an asshole, but he ain't that terrible."

Daryl raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Well, show me what ya need tha help with," Daryl said and waved toward the barn.

Beth went inside and him and Hershel walked toward the barn. "It ain't so much somethin' I need ya to help move. I already had it done. I just gotta have it installed now then ya can help me transfer stuff from my basement to over here."

Daryl sighed as Hershel opened the barn door.

Where the stables used to be was completely gone, and the dirt floor had been dug into a huge pit. Hershel pulled something out of his back pocket and handed it to Daryl. "This is tha blueprint that I think I'm goin' with, but first I need to ask ya somethin'."

Daryl looked at the bunker on the paper in front of him. There were several rooms, each marked accordingly. The bunker started under the barn, but apparently stretched out long past it. There was about twenty different rooms, lots of space, water filtration systems, air filtration systems, solar powered panels that were hidden to avoid anyone tampering with them or noticing them.

"They're gonna install it next week." He paused and shrugged. "Well, they're startin' next week."

"Hershel," Daryl said with a huge sigh. "Ya cain't be serious. Where tha hell did ya find money to do this?"

"My daddy had lots of money and tha greedy bastard left it all to me. I ain't never touched a dime until now. For myself at least. I used it to put the girls through school."

"And ya wanna waste your money on this? Ya cain't really believe tha world's gonna end soon."

"I do," he said with so much conviction that Daryl just nodded along.

"I'll help ya move your stuff over."

"Good man," Hershel said, then turned in front of Daryl. "Now, I need to know which blue prints to go with. That plan in your hand will house twenty people comfortably." Daryl must have looked confused because Hershel continued. "I need to know if ya plan on marryin' my Bethy. If ya don't, I can cut down some space, but if ya do, then I'll keep it like it is. It's enough room for Beth and Maggie to have families down there."

"What tha fuck, sir?" Daryl asked, his voice was tightening up.

"Do ya plan on marryin' Beth and givin' me grandbabies?" Hershel asked, seeming to take great pride in the way that Daryl shifted on his feet.

Daryl grunted, shrugged, looked to the deep pit in front of him and contemplated throwing himself into it just to get out of this conversation.

"Ya really believe all this is gonna happen, Hershel?"

The old man nodded. "Just, think about it, Daryl. Where do ya see yaself in ten years? Is it with Bethy?"

Daryl scrubbed a hand over his face and groaned. "Ya askin' me if in ten years, I see myself livin' in a bunker with a wife and kids along with her daddy and other family members?"

"When ya say it like that, it makes me sounds crazy," Hershel muttered.

Daryl hated the defeated look in Hershel's eyes so he nodded and said, "Sure, as long as I get to bring my brother. He's tha only blood I got left."

He made a face at that but nodded. "That'd be fine. He's gonna be really lonely without all tha booze and drugs and women, though."

"Even Merle would rather be alive than have all that shit." Daryl paused then smirked. "What about Glenn? He gonna get this same talk?"

"Eventually."

"Ya gonna let his family inside, too? Ya let my brother, ya gotta let tha others."

"No, I don't. If this is serious with Glenn, he can come, but he's from tha city. He's never even been huntin'. You and your brother are hunters and natural protectors. You'll be invaluable in this new world. You'll take care of my girl."

"You're a fuckin' loon, Hershel."

They both started laughing, and Hershel hit him with his cane. "I'm tha loon until tha shit hits tha fan. Then everyone'll run to me."

They walked back to the farm, Daryl grinning the whole way.

* * *

Dinner went off without a hitch.

Glenn was a nice guy. He delivered pizzas and worked his way through school. His family was in Michigan, and he loved strategy games. Hershel's eyes lit up at that, and Daryl fought not to roll his in return.

He ate nearly all the green bean casserole so Beth wouldn't have to throw it away, and about nine that night, they got in the truck and left the farm.

Beth was humming in the passenger seat and tapping her fingers against his thigh. It was a really pretty night, and they were driving slow with the windows rolled down. Without really thinking about it, Daryl took a turn and started down some back roads. They twisted through the thick Georgia countryside until they got to Daryl's family's old hunting cabin.

It was in a clearing, and so run down that no one could even use it anymore, but they didn't need the cabin. They just needed the bed of the truck and the blanket stashed behind the seat.

Pretty soon, they were cuddled up in the truck bed, looking at the stars in silence. Her leg was thrown over his and her head on his chest.

"So, what'd daddy have?" She asked quietly. "He just told me it was big."

"He's done gutted y'all's barn and is installin' a huge bunker."

"You're lyin'," she said with a laugh.

"Hand to God," he said. "It's fuckin' gigantic. Enough room for me and you, him, Maggie and if she's got a husband at tha time, and all our kids."

Beth sat up then, her mouth dropped open. "You're serious." Daryl nodded and tried to keep a straight face, but failed. She looked horrified. "My daddy asked ya if you were willin' to live in a bunker and have kids with me there?"

"Yeah," he answered and sat up. "I told him as long as Merle could come, that we'd be fine."

At that, Beth couldn't control her laughter anymore. She was doubled over with giggles, and that made him laugh, too.

"I ain't havin' babies in no bunker," she laughed and shook her head. "My daddy's gone and lost his damn mind."

Daryl shrugged. "Guess we better get started before tha end of tha world then. Have nice hospital experience where ya yell and call me names, and tha doctor wonders how ya ended up with such an asshole 'cause I'll just walk out tha door when it all starts goin' down."

Beth rolled her eyes. "End of tha world ain't happenin' that quick."

He smirked and leaned down to kiss her, drawing it out, leaving her wanting more so that when he pulled away, she followed him.

The past few months had been something else. He felt something stirring in him that he never thought he would feel, and the more he got involved with her family, the happier he felt.

It was Beth's heart and smile and that wild side that drove him crazy. It was her off-his-rocker daddy, and her hopeless romantic sister that fell in love more than she changed her underwear.

"I love ya," he said softly and cupped her jaw.

Her eyes lit up, and her smile stretched ear-to-ear almost. "I love ya, too."

He leaned forward and kissed her this time, inching a hand under her shirt, but she beat him to the punch and just pulled the whole thing off then unclasped her bra and tossed it behind her, too.

Since she seemed in a big rush, he pulled off his shirt and vest and rolled them into a ball. "Lay back," he said and started nudging her to lay on his makeshift pillow.

It wasn't long after that their pants joined their other clothes in a pile somewhere in the bed of his truck. He'd have a hell of a time getting dressed after it was all said and done, but it sure would be fun getting to that point.

He started at her favorite spot, the juncture of her neck and collarbone. His kiss was rough, with the edge of his teeth, and she pulled his hair just a little as she tried to get him to move those same kisses to her tits. He got there before long, sucking those perfectly pink buds into his mouth, sometimes sucking just a touch too hard, but she loved it. Even if she never admitted it out loud.

The pleasure and pain threshold was something fun to play with when it came to Beth. Any woman before her were quick, meaningless encounters, but he had Beth so many times that he knew her quirks and how to make her squirm under him, and he loved that knowledge.

Daryl placed his hands on the insides of her thighs and spread them far apart before he leaned down and ran his tongue over her pussy once then went to sucking on her clit with strong pulls before backing off and building her up slowly.

He wondered if she would let him record her one day. Not like on an actual video camera, but maybe on his phone. Not her face or anything, but just some pictures of her fingering herself or maybe his dick sliding into her.

He could jerk it to a video of that for the rest of his life.

Those thoughts got him going way too fast, and he pressed two fingers inside of her, curling them up and pressing inside while he flicked his tongue of her. She threw her head back and must have missed his shirt because there was a dull thunk as she hit the metal bed. It didn't stop her from coming hard on his fingers and against his lips, though.

She tugged on his hair, and he slid up her body, his chest rubbing from her stomach to her tits before he kissed her. Beth didn't care that she was still all on his lips and chin, she twisted her tongue with his and groaned, reaching between them and taking his dick in her hand.

"Want ya to ride me," he said as he broke the kiss and moved away.

He carried her from the back of the truck to the driver's side door, sharp sticks and sugar gum balls dug into his feet, but it didn't matter. In a few seconds, she'd be straddling his lap and bouncing.

Fuck his feet. They would heal.

He got inside and slammed the door shut behind him, the window was still open and breeze was coming through it. Beth kicked her leg over him and ended up with her knees on either side of his hips. She was raised up and bending down to kiss him while one hand stroked him again, getting him just as hard as he had been before.

"Damn, girl," he muttered against her lips as she lowered herself down and over him.

Beth wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her fingers drag through the hair at the base of his neck, and he shivered. She rocked over him slowly at first, taking her time to move from kissing his lips to his jaw then down his neck. She sucked at the base of his throat in time with her thrusts. And he let her have this time, pacing herself, getting to feel all of him and have it slow, but his hands were tensing on his hips just waiting for the moment she leaned back and bounced against him harder. That was his cue to start helping.

Daryl wrapped her hair around his wrist and tugged a little. When he pulled back and pressed their foreheads together, she smirked at him. "Ya wanna go fast, don't ya?"

He nodded and drew in a sharp breath when she twisted her hips again. "You feel so fuckin' good. I just wanna get as deep as I can is all."

Her smirk softened to a grin, and she moved her hand and held it against the one that still gripped her hip. "Go," she whispered and squeezed his hand.

Daryl braced his feet against the floorboard and let go of her hair, moving his now free hand back to her other hip as he drove himself into her with enough force to make her lose her breath then start groaning with each stroke.

She got loud when he lost control like this, and he liked to watch her stop being that sweet princess that she was for everyone else. For him, she scratched and cursed and moaned. And he was the only guy to know to what it was like to have her squeeze his dick from the inside and the way her face looked right as she came.

He prided himself on that. There might have been a couple of guys before him, but he sure as hell fucked their memory away. Beth said none of the before mattered, though, and he believed her.

A strangled gasp and then she stilled against him as he continued to pull her over him. When her head landed on his shoulder, he kissed her softly and turned, laying her across the bench seat, and moving slowly inside her.

She flung a hand over her face, but he could still see her grin in the moonlight. He took that hand and drug it over her head and pressed it into the worn leather of the seat. A handful of thrusts later, he turned his face into her neck and groaned low as he came inside her.

Beth scratched the back of his scalp and sighed, and when he pulled away, sticky with sweat and other stuff, she whimpered a little.

"I hurt ya?" He asked and kissed her lips quickly.

"No," she said and sat up as he did. "Just feel really empty."

He blushed and so did she. "I'm a hell of a lot colder now," he said with a grin, trying to make her laugh and take the focus off what she had said even though he felt really fucking smug about it.

Daryl kissed her again then got out of the truck. It took him a few minutes, but he found all their clothes and got back in the cab right as it started thundering and lightening.

"It was supposed to rain?" She asked as she pulled up her jeans.

"I didn't check tha weather," he answered and put his boots on but left the laces untied.

He pulled out of the woods and onto the road, heading into town as the rain started falling in sheets. In minutes, they were outside Beth's apartment and running in from the rain. Neither one of them cared about the little old lady that poked her head at as they ran laughing toward her door.

His jeans were unbuckled and his shirt was unbuttoned. He probably looked like he just got fucked, and he wasn't about to change that. He waved at the woman, and her eyes widened before she slammed her door shut and Daryl laughed loudly.

"You should move in here," Beth said once they were inside.

Daryl looked around and nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right."


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

Thank you all so much for reading! There's one chapter left after this unless I get the itch and write little outtakes.

Just so you know, this is pure fluff. This is a happy, safe place. Enjoy 3

* * *

"Daryl!" Oscar hollered his name from the parking lot below.

He had taken a side job for the week re-tarring a roof to make a little extra money. His and Beth's one-year anniversary was coming up, and Daryl wanted to take her down to Savannah for the weekend, and he had been giving some thought to asking her to marry him. It definitely wasn't something he would have normally thought to do, but since he had moved in with her, he had learned that she loved little surprises.

She loved flowers from the grocery store. A candy bar he picked up when he got cigarettes on his way home from work. This would be a huge surprise, and he was getting nervous trying to keep it from her.

"Yeah?" He called down and looked over the edge of the roof.

"Ya gotta call, man."

Daryl pulled his gloves off and went down the ladder. They were using the office phone inside the insurance office they were working on for emergencies, and Daryl felt twitchy as he picked up the phone.

"Beth?" He asked into the receiver.

"No, no," Hershel spoke. "It's just me."

"Beth okay?" Daryl figured she was since Hershel was so calm, but he couldn't stop the question.

"Bethy's fine," he said. "I called 'cause there's a gun show in Macon this weekend, and I wanted to go and was wonderin' if ya'd go with me. Drivin' back home at night just ain't good for me."

Daryl knew that was an outright lie. The man could do whatever he wanted to do. He just didn't want to go by himself.

"On Saturday?"

"Yeah. Figured we could leave about 7:30 in tha mornin' and get there when it opens."

"Whatcha lookin' for? Ya got plenty of guns."

"I was gonna go huntin' for more ammo. I bought some off tha computer, but I like to look around, too. They got a special archery section at this one, so ya might find some thangs, too."

"I'm savin' right now, Hershel, but I'd be happy to drive ya down there," he lied. He would have rather been in bed with Beth all day, eating junk food and watching movies or fooling around.

"Okay. I'll be ready to go at 7:30."

"Yes, sir," Daryl said and Hershel hung up.

Daryl sighed deeply and turned to find Oscar trying not to laugh. "Your girl's daddy got ya wrapped around his finger, too?"

Daryl shook his head. "Hershel's a good guy. Just a bit off sometimes."

"It's crazy to see ya all domesticated."

"I ain't a fuckin' cat," he said and walked past him.

Once he was back on the roof and doing his job, Daryl started laughing to himself. A year ago, he'd have been sleeping off a hangover and just living out in the woods.

Maybe he had been domesticated.

* * *

That evening he came home to Beth cleaning up the apartment like a crazy person.

"What's goin' on?" He asked. "Tha president comin' by?"

"Worse," she muttered. "Your brother just called. He got outta lock up early, and he needs a place to stay."

"So he called you 'cause he knew I'd tell him no."

"Daryl, he's not a meth head. He was sellin' it not usin'."

She says it like she's trying to convince herself that everything is fine, and Merle didn't go off the deep end, but he can see the worry in her eyes.

Beth liked Merle. She thought he was a good guy who was just a little rougher around the edges than Daryl. As months went by, she noticed that they weren't all that similar.

"What did he say exactly?" Daryl asked and toed off his boots.

"Said that he needed a place to crash for a coupla nights, and that he would be outta our hair before the weekend was over."

Daryl sighed. "Girl, I gotta take your daddy to Macon on Saturday. I don't want Merle here, doing whatever tha fuck it is he does now, without me here."

She stopped picking up and looked at him. "Why in tha world are you and daddy goin' to Macon?"

"Gun show."

"Oh, sweet lord. Daryl Dixon, don't let my daddy spend his entire inheritance on guns and ammo. He has enough."

Daryl shrugged. "I'm just drivin'. He's a grown ass man. If he wants to stock up, so be it, but I'll tell him to buy tha good shit so I can sell it after we put him in a home."

Beth gasped. "You would never say that!"

He laughed and went into the kitchen. "I've said worse to him before."

Daryl was pretty sure she was going to throw something at him but the front door burst open and his brother's loud voice echoed down the hall.

"Who's ready to have a party for ol' Merle's return?"

"Not me," Daryl called back.

"Pussy!" Merle hollered as he walked past the kitchen and hugged Beth. "Ya wanna go out, sugar?"

"Ya couldn't afford me, Merle," she said in a deadpan voice that had his brother laughing ridiculously loud.

"I can see that. Shit, Darla, what's tha point of that couch if ya cain't sit on it for all tha pillows?"

"They're throw pillows. It's for decoration," Beth explained as Merle threw them off the couch and plopped down heavily.

"Get me a beer," he said, ignoring what she had said all together.

Daryl took a seat beside him. "Ya better act right around her," he told his older brother. "Ya knew she couldn't tell ya no, so don't be a dickhead when you're here."

Merle looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "She got your balls in a display case somewhere?"

Daryl palmed his crotch and shook his head. "Nah, still there. And disease free, too."

Merle rolled his eyes and groaned. "It was one time."

"So ya just like takin' antibiotics for fun," Daryl drawled and smirked.

Merle flipped him off as Beth walked into the room and handed them both a beer.

"Do ya have to work tomorrow?" Beth asked him and sat in her reading chair across from him.

"Yeah," he said and sighed. "I'm workin' in tha garage until three then I'm helpin' Oscar again with tha roofin'."

She shook her head. "Daryl, ya don't need to run yaself ragged. We make plenty of money without ya workin' two jobs."

"It's just for tha week, and it's more about doin' a solid for a friend than tha money," he lied and looked away from her.

"So tomorrow night, we should go out since you're gonna be with daddy all day Saturday."

"Okay," he said and Merle stared a hole into his head.

He wasn't even going to get into that with him.

* * *

Saturday morning came too fast in Daryl's opinion. Merle hadn't come in the night before or called so he figured he had already found a new shit hole to call home.

Beth rolled over and slapped the alarm, groaning. "Why'd ya have to set it for so early?"

"I gotta pick up your dad," he muttered and slipped a hand under her shirt.

She pushed her ass back against him. Daryl rolled her over on her back and slipped between her thighs.

A few well placed kisses on her neck, and she was arching up against him. Her panties got tossed to the side of the bed and his boxers went the same way. Before he knew it, he was sliding inside her, and her hands were digging into his shoulders.

Sometime in between all the kisses and thrusting, the alarm started going off again.

"I pressed 'snooze'," she laughed and squeezed her legs around his waist tighter.

He pressed all the way into her and reached to the bedside table where he smacked at the alarm, only knocking it off onto the floor.

"Fuck it," he muttered.

The bed frame squeaked a little as his hips hit hers with more force, and the alarm blared in the background.

Daryl sat back on his heels and lifted her hips a little. The change made her tense under him. He watched her start to get closer and closer, the flush working its way from her cheeks to her chest as he rubbed circles against her clit.

She came with a low moan, and he fell forward, arms on either side of her head as he fucked her hard. Tingles of electricity shot up his spine as he came, and he closed his eyes against the pleasure of it all.

"Damn," he mumbled as he rolled away. "Good fuckin' mornin' to me."

"And me," she whispered and stretched.

Daryl crawled over her legs and reached for the alarm, turning the switch off and falling across her knees.

"I got twenty minutes until I gotta go."

"Wanna take a shower?"

"Not with you. That's got bad news written all over it."

"Loser," she said with a smile.

"Tease." He grinned up at her.

That's when they both heard loud knocking.

"Fuckin' Merle," Daryl muttered. "Surprised he ain't tried to pick tha lock."

Daryl stood up and pulled on some jeans while Beth got up and walked to her dresser.

"What hole did ya crawl out of," he asked as he swung open the front door.

"I came from Tha Donut Palace by way of my farm," Hershel said and stepped inside the apartment.

Daryl flushed bright red and started backing away. He was shirtless and that wouldn't have been a huge deal with Merle, but it changed things completely with Beth's father. Not to mention it was seven in the morning and he was sure he looked guilty as hell.

Beth walked around the corner, dressed and holding out a shirt for him. He thanked her as much as he could with his eyes, and she looked at Hershel.

"Daddy, what're ya doin' here?"

"I could ask tha same about Daryl." He said as he walked into the kitchen.

They both stared at each other for a second. It had been an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't mention they were living together to her daddy, but now it seemed liked the jig was up. Or they could just say he spent the night, but that wasn't a great one either.

"Before y'all start lyin', ya should know that I know everythin' that goes on in this town. Tha men at tha feed store gossip just as much as tha women down at tha hair shop."

Beth took a deep breath before she went into the kitchen. "Well, tha cat's outta tha bag I guess." Hershel gave her a serious look, but Beth smiled. "There's nothin' wrong here, daddy."

"Y'all should get married. Tha barn would look real pretty with some twinkle lights all hangin' from tha rafters."

"It really would, and maybe one day, after ya finish destroyin' it for that bunker, and it looks normal again, we can look into that," Beth said softly and opened up the bag he brought.

She handed Daryl a kolache and took a doughnut for herself.

"Barn'll be back to normal before summer's over. Gives ya a few months to plan stuff for that fall weddin' ya always talked with Maggie about."

Daryl felt like he was going to be sick, but Beth looked completely unaffected. "We'll have to think about it."

Hershel snorted and looked to Daryl. "We got all day to talk about this."

He stuffed the rest of his breakfast into his mouth and went to get his boots.

* * *

"Do ya at least got her a ring?" Hershel asked once they were halfway to Macon.

Daryl popped his neck and started tapping on the steering wheel. "I told ya I was takin' her down to Savannah," he said without looking at him. "I got stuff planned."

He cut his eyes at Hershel just in time to see this delighted little smile cross his face. "Good. This is real good news. I'd be real happy to have ya as a son-in-law."

Daryl just nodded and his grip tightened on the wheel. It was damn ridiculous that he was as nervous as he was thinking about it, but Savannah would happen in a few weeks, so he needed to get his shit together.

* * *

He stood there in their hotel bathroom, looking himself over in the mirror. He was wearing a pair of black slacks that he had actually gone into a department store to buy, along with a white button down shirt and a black tie.

He looked like one of those fucking Mormon guys that rode their bikes around the neighborhoods sometimes.

Daryl tugged on his sleeves before unbuttoning them and rolling them up to his elbows. It felt a little better. He took a deep breath then untucked his shirt, leaving it hanging like all his other button downs did.

"Better," he muttered then cleared his throat.

Beth had been gone for a couple of hours, getting her nails done or whatever the hell she said she needed to do before meeting him in front of their hotel. She had been wearing a real pretty sundress, so he told her that would do just fine for where they were going.

The ring box in his pocket felt like it was made of lead as it settled against his leg.

"Don't puss out," he told his reflection. "Feed her, take her for a walk, ask her to be your fuckin' wife." Even as he said those words, in little more than a grunt to his reflection, he wondered if when the time came all he would be able to do was hold the ring out and shrug.

He let out a steady breath and left the hotel room and went downstairs to wait in the lobby.

She looked beautiful walking towards him. Her hair was down and curled, and she was smiling at him like he was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"Wow. Ya clean up real nice, Mr. Dixon," she teased and leaned up to kiss his cheek, lingering a little.

He shrugged. "Feel like an idiot."

"Ya look handsome." Her voice was so sincere that he met her eyes for a second and saw nothing but love there. It made his chest ache a little.

Trying to push all those rushing emotions away, he took her hand and led her to the truck before opening the door for her. She watched him with a happy twinkle in her eye as he slid in beside her and cranked the truck.

"This place is supposed to be real good," he mumbled and started driving.

"I don't doubt it for a minute."

Beth leaned her head against his shoulder and hummed along with the radio as he drove through crowded city streets.

"This is why I like home," she said. "One stop light and no traffic."

"Ya'd never have survived in Atlanta," he said and put a hand on her thigh.

"I'm glad I got out when I did. Everythin' was near campus, so I rarely got out on tha interstate."

When they got to the restaurant, he held her hand and led her to the door. This was one of those fancy places that required reservations and probably didn't have prices on the menu, but he had put away for this. Daryl wanted her to see that if she liked going out like this once a year, he damn well could do that.

More than once a year—probably not.

When he got up to the hostess podium, the young woman looked him up and down for a second before glancing at Beth. He knew he stuck out like a sore thumb in places like this. Still, when she asked his name, he grunted, "Dixon," instead of turning tail and walking right back out the door.

Beth had latched her talons into his fucking arm since they had walked in the door and was glaring at the woman who led them to their seat. It was a nice little booth, fake candle in the middle with barely enough lighting to see what the fuck the menu said at all.

The waiter came and took their drink orders, telling them all about their lovely bottles of wine, but Beth opted for water, and he figured what he would pay for a beer here would buy him a twelve pack at a convenience store, so he asked for water, too.

"Now, pick whatever ya want," he told her as he opened the menu. "Don't settle for a salad or some bullshit like that."

An old couple sitting in a table near them turned at his language, and he flushed a little. He was used to getting looks like that, but tonight made things so much worse.

The rest of dinner went off well. They made small talk, which was weird, but the atmosphere of the restaurant seemed to make them both feel out of place. The steak was really fucking good, though, so that helped.

Once they had paid the bill that wasn't nearly as terrible as he had anticipated, he drove them down toward the beach.

"Now, this is good idea," she whispered and took his hand.

"Ya didn't like tha food?" He asked.

"Nah, tha food was great!" Beth said and squeezed his hand. "It just wasn't a place I'm used to. I thought I was gonna get in trouble for usin' tha wrong fork or somethin'."

Daryl snorted. "I didn't think tha hostess was gonna let me in."

"Oh, she wanted to let ya in alright," Beth said with a little too much sarcasm in her voice.

"What?"

Beth looked at him like he was insane. "Daryl, she looked like she was gonna pounce on ya. I'm surprised she didn't try and slip ya her number."

"Do women really do that?" He asked, ignoring the fact that Beth seemed a little jealous.

"Some of 'em do," she answered.

He nudged her shoulder and grinned. "You that kinda woman?"

Beth shook her head. "No, I'm more of a 'get buzzed and go for it' girl, don't ya know?"

"Yeah," he laughed and nodded. "I know."

The stopped at a little ice cream store and got some then went out and sat on a bench, watching the waves roll in as the sun set. His hands were getting clammy, and he reached into his pocket right as Beth reached into her purse.

"I got ya somethin'," she said and smiled at him as she held out a little box.

Daryl let go of the ring box and reached for the plain brown box that was no bigger than his wallet.

He opened the box and the first thing he saw was a little note that read:

_A New Years' Surprise_

Daryl picked it up and under the note was a picture he would have been stupid not to recognize.

It didn't look like anything special. A blob in greyscale.

"I know we didn't plan this, but I'm so excited," she whispered.

He silently stared at the picture, and after several seconds, Beth cleared her throat.

"It's a shock. I mean, I've known for two weeks so I went from terrified to happy. I know it might take some time."

"I wish I could've gone with ya," he said quietly and continued to stare in shock at the picture. "That's a big deal, right? First picture and all?"

He didn't know where that came from, but staring at the picture in his lap, he felt scared, out of breath, and happy all at once.

"I wanted to give ya a surprise for our anniversary," she said with a slight hitch in her voice. "Plus, it wasn't like tha movies where they rub that thing on my stomach. You don't even wanna know how they got that picture."

He turned his head then and saw that there were tears in her eyes.

"Damn, girl. Don't cry."

"I'm happy."

"How far are ya?"

"Really new. Only eight weeks now. I missed my period, and I never miss. Ya know that." She paused and took his hand. "So, I went to Dr. Mamet, and he confirmed it and sent me to Dr. Jacqui. She's so nice, Daryl. You'll really like her. She did tha ultrasound and put me at six weeks. Everythin' looks great, but I don't go back until I'm through tha first trimester."

"What? Why?" He asked. "Shouldn't they be keepin' a better eye on ya now?"

Beth shrugged. "I've been readin', and it's standard. A lot of women miscarry in tha first few weeks, and there's not a lot they can measure or do unless I'm havin' issues with mornin' sickness or somethin' like that."

Daryl grunted. He hadn't even thought about her losing it. He had only known about it for a few minutes, but now, the idea of the baby being gone just hit him like a punch in the gut.

"Ya stole my limelight," he spoke past the lump in his throat.

"What do ya mean?" She asked with a soft smile. "This weekend has been beautiful, Daryl."

His fist clenched around the box in his pocket before he pulled it out slowly, and placed it on her leg.

"I've been plannin' this weekend for months, tryin' to get my words right, and now I done forgot 'em all."

"Oh," she gasped.

Daryl watched as her jaw dropped and she looked up at him like she was shocked silly.

"Is this what I think it is?"

He nodded and then scratched his chin. "Wanted to call ya my wife."

"Bonus is ya get to call me tha mother of your child, too." She laughed through those happy tears and opened up the box to see the ring. "It's beautiful!"

Daryl felt his throat seize up a little. "Don't know if I'll be good at that, but I'll try my best."

Beth took a couple of shallow breaths then started laughing agin. "This is tha best day ever! Oh my God! We're gettin' married. We're havin' a baby!" She threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight. "I've never felt better in my life, and this is just tha beginnin'," she said and smiled up at him.

"More like part two," he said. "Think we started a long time ago."

Beth grinned and kissed him softly. "I'm so happy."

"I ain't never felt like this."

And he truly hadn't. This feeling, this ache in his chest, was full of happiness, worry, excitement, and terror. He looked at her smile, though, and smiled, too. It was like a damn puzzle coming together, and he didn't know what he did to deserve it, but he would work like hell to keep it.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing!

* * *

Hershel Greene was not pleased at all with the news that his daughter's wedding wouldn't be taking place that coming October like he thought it would.

Well, it would be October, but October of next year.

After the baby came.

He sighed and rocked on the porch swing while Daryl and Beth were inside cleaning up Sunday lunch.

He wasn't so old fashioned that he was going to pitch a fit in front of them, but he said his piece and moved on from it. He needed a little time to stew, though.

After a few minutes of rocking, he smiled a little.

Beth had found a real good man in Daryl Dixon. Sure, he was a little rough around the edges, but nothing too bad. He swore a bit too much and didn't shower near as much as he should after he went out in the woods, but Daryl was a provider. He was a fixer and a hard worker. Beth would never want for anything because he would always make sure she had whatever she needed, when she needed it.

He could wait a little over a year for a wedding out in the barn. That would be good for them anyway. No use rushing something that was going to happen, and the baby was a blessing from God as far as he was concerned.

That made him smile even bigger.

He would have a grandbaby come the end of this year or the beginning of the next. That was something he had always looked forward to, and after Annette had passed, it became a focal point of growing old. He wouldn't be alone after all. He would have his grandchildren to visit and keep him young.

The screen door screeched and out came Daryl, looking a little shy all of a sudden. He always looked that way around Hershel. Like he was going to get hit or yelled at or told that he was a sorry sack of shit that shouldn't even be near his daughter.

"Well, I guess tha safe sex talk is too late," Hershel said, and Daryl flushed a little.

It was that flush, that uncomfortable stance, that had first made Hershel realize that Daryl wasn't anything like his family. It also made him want to adopt Daryl as his own and make it to where he stopped feeling so inferior to everyone around him.

His name was just a name, and he held the power to change its connotation to the town he grew up in, and he was doing it.

"I'd say it was an accident, but I don't like tha thought of callin' my kid that," he said quietly. "Definitely wasn't planned, though."

"A happy surprise?" Hershel asked.

"The more I get used to tha idea, yeah, it's a good thang. Don't really know how good of a dad I'll be, though."

"You'll do great. It's normal to be scared."

Daryl nodded and sat beside him on the swing. "We need a bigger place, but I don't think we can afford it yet," he whispered. "I don't wanna let her down, Hershel."

He patted his shoulder lightly. "That baby won't take up much room at all. In fact, it'll stay in tha room with y'all for a while anyway. Ya got time to plan. Y'all make decent money, and you're a hard worker, so is Beth."

"I know," he said and nodded. "Just figure we need to find somethin' better."

"I got plenty of land. Y'all could get one of those double-wide trailers and put it out near the road if ya wanted. I hear they're pretty reasonable on pricin'."

He grunted a little but didn't speak.

"Ya got time, Daryl."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. "So ya ain't mad at me?" He asked finally.

"Nah," Hershel said with a shrug. "It's outta order, but hell, what's it matter right now? Y'all got your heads on straight."

"Figured ya'd be pissed."

"I coulda been, but this ain't nothin' to get pissed about," he said. "Y'all love each other, y'all are gettin' married and havin' a baby. I know a lotta people that did everythin' in just tha right order and turned out to be terrible parents."

"So everythin's gonna be okay?" He asked and looked into Hershel's eyes.

"It ain't gonna be easy if that's what you're askin'. It'll be worth it, though."

* * *

Beth sat on the other side of the glass partition separating her from Merle Dixon.

He whistled into the phone when she picked up, and she shook her head. "Ya ain't smooth," she said softly.

"Well, ya ain't as sexy as ya used to be."

"This is your niece or nephew you're talkin' about," she said and placed her hand on top of her stomach. It was four weeks until her due date, and it was obvious, too. She looked like she had swallowed a beach ball.

"Ya break down and open that envelope yet?" He asked with a grin.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I wanna be surprised."

"You'll be surprised now if ya look just like ya would be when it pops out."

"From what I understand, it doesn't just 'pop' out, Merle."

He laughed and looked around. "Daryl didn't come?"

She sighed. "He's workin', and he don't know I'm here. He's still mad as hell at ya."

Merle nodded. "It was shitty thang I did."

"Yeah, it was," she agreed.

Her thoughts flashed back to two months earlier when the cops came pounding on their door with a warrant to search the premises. Her and Daryl had looked at each other like they were crazy, but then they found three pounds of meth stuffed in a box in the hall closet.

They hadn't been arrested, not even close, but the fact that Merle had stashed drugs at their home pushed them beyond their limits when it came to him. Daryl refused to see his brother, but Beth figured it was best to mend bridges.

Merle was always going to be in and out of trouble, but she cared about him like she did any of her family.

"They treatin' ya alright in here?" She asked and looked at the other inmates having phone visits.

"It's okay. I could get in real tight with tha Aryan Brotherhood but figured that'd piss ya off real bad if I came home with a prison tattoo of 'SS' on my neck."

"I swear on everythin' good and holy, Merle, if ya came back with a tattoo like that or any kind, I will personally kick your balls into your throat." Her voice was hard and caused a few other visitors to look at her.

Merle just laughed. "I'm fuckin' kiddin'. I keep to myself. Read a lot. There's a guy in here that calls himself tha Governor. He's pretty funny to listen to. I think he needs to be in tha psych ward, but they keep him here. I think it's for laughs."

Beth rolled her eyes. "Please, stay outta trouble. I know it's hard and ya ain't got any self-control, but please do your time, straighten up and come meet your new niece or nephew."

"I'll be out right before y'all's weddin'. Promise."

"I probably won't be back for a while since the baby's due soon, so I brought ya this," she said and motioned for the guard. "Now, don't yell it out when ya read it. I'll be so mad."

The guard came over and took the envelope before going to the double security doors and passing it through the hole to the other guard. This one opened it and looked inside before walking down to Merle.

"Don't tell me," she warned again.

He took the envelope in his hands and smiled down at it. "I'll save it for later. Lord knows I can't help myself with somethin' like this."

Beth nodded and looked at the time on her watch. "I gotta go, but I'll tell Daryl that ya looked well."

"He don't care."

She stared at him and nodded. "He cares more than he'll ever admit."

Merle shrugged, and Beth said, "Next time ya get mail, you'll have a picture in there, too!"

He smiled little, and she hung up the phone and stood up. He did the same and gave her small wave before walking to the prison guard, clutching the envelope in his hand like a lifeline.

Maybe it was.

* * *

Daryl had done everything he could to make this pregnancy easy on her. He brought her anything she asked for no matter what time it was. He rubbed her feet and cleaned their little apartment. He put together the crib and helped her fold tiny clothes and put them into drawers.

He caught hell from Maggie on a regular basis for how things went down, but he saw how she was smiling and bringing over more and more baby clothes and stuffed animals, so he knew she wasn't really mad. She was in doting aunt mode, and Glenn was getting pressured a lot to follow in their footsteps. That made him laugh at every Sunday dinner they made it to.

Beside that, they both still worked, but once Beth was showing and just engaged, some of the parents took their kids from her lessons to someone else. It pissed him off to no end, but Beth just shrugged. They acted all high and mighty like she had a disease that would rub off on their spoiled brats, but they would have been lucky if their kids turned out like Beth.

The town whispered more, and Beth ignored it as best she could, but it made his blood boil. He came to words with an old bat in the cereal aisle of the grocery store one Sunday afternoon.

She had been saying how Beth shouldn't have sung a special number at church that morning because of her situation to another blue hair, and his heart started pounding so hard he felt like he was having a heart attack.

"I thought it was real nice," he said quietly as he reached past her and got the Fruity Pebbles Beth had asked him to pick up. "She'd been practicin' for awhile."

The old woman turned so red he thought he had given her an aneurysm. "I'm sure she had," she muttered. "Still, what kinda example is she settin' for tha youth?"

Daryl shrugged and put the box in his buggy. "From what I understand sin is sin is sin. Ain't one worse than another, so gossipin' in tha Piggly Wiggly's just as bad as havin' a kid before marriage." He couldn't believe he had said it without blushing or stammering.

"Ya don't even go to church. How would ya know?" She had asked, getting all flustered.

"Tha service is on tha television every Sunday mornin'," he answered and pushed his buggy down the aisle.

Truth was, he didn't watch it unless Beth was singing a song, but he knew enough about shit to know the basics. Besides, that bitch didn't need to know that.

He was a Dixon and Beth would be one day and their baby was going to be his blood. If there was one thing that Daryl didn't tolerate it was someone talking down about his family.

Most people in town had been real happy about them settling down. It was a fairytale in some folk's eyes. This beautiful southern belle had tamed the asshole loner. Truth was, they had little spats, they made up, and they were like everyone else, but if people wanted to make it something bigger, then what could he do to stop them?

He made it home with the snacks, and Beth had her feet propped up on the coffee table. Tomorrow was her due date, but the doctor said that she would probably go over since she wasn't too dilated or thinned.

Daryl didn't pay too much attention to what went on below the blanket during the visits, but he knew that she need to be dilated ten centimeters and a hundred percent effaced before she was ready to go.

"Hey, babe," she said and smiled at him.

"Ya okay?" He asked as he looked into her eyes.

"I'm okay," she said and pressed a hand to her stomach. "I've been havin' contractions off and on. I called tha office, and they said only come in if my water breaks or tha contractions are comin' every four minutes."

"How far are they now?" He asked and sat down beside her.

"Like twice an hour." She shrugged. "It's good, though. It means thangs are gettin' goin'!"

"Ummhmm."

Daryl stood back up and put away the groceries. He ignored the fear that was settling in his stomach and tried to be positive. It didn't work too well at all.

* * *

Merle Dixon was laying in his bottom bunk before lights out on New Year's Eve, toying with the envelope he had yet to open.

He didn't deserve Beth's visits or his brother's kindness after what he had done, but still she came, and he knew that Daryl would help him in any way he could. She was supposed to have the kid any minute really, so he talked himself up and reached to the flap of the envelope and opened it up slowly…

* * *

The doctor was telling her to push, but honestly, Beth wasn't sure she had much strength left at all. It was a long labor, and it sucked, for lack of a better word.

"C'mon, girl," Daryl said against her ear. "Ya wanted this kid to be tha first one born in the new year, didn't ya?"

She nodded as she got ready to push again.

"Ya better hurry up then. I hear that other bitch down tha hall, too."

Beth choked out a laugh. "It's not a race," she grunted.

"One more big push, Beth," Dr. Jacqui said, and Beth took a huge breath before pushing down hard when she was told to.

* * *

Merle laughed quietly as he looked down at the little piece of paper in his hand.

"Shut tha fuck up, Dixon," Martinez said from the top bunk.

"Fuck off," Merle said with a grin. "I'm an uncle."

"Oh yeah," he asked and leaned over the top bunk to look down at him.

Merle waved the little sheet of paper around. "My neice'll be here soon. My brother ain't gonna know what to do with two women in tha house."

That made Martinez laugh. "I gotta little girl. I'ma see her in two weeks, and I ain't gonna be caught in this shithole again."

Merle looked at the slip of paper and the neat words, "It's a girl!" written on it. "Yeah, I'm thinkin' this'll prolly be worth watchin', too."

* * *

Hershel held his tiny granddaughter in his arms and smiled down at her. She had Beth's bright blue eyes already, but she had dark hair just like Daryl's.

"She's precious," he whispered.

Daryl sat on the side of the hospital bed, and he looked anxious to hold her again, so Hershel passed her off to him. She fit well in the crook of his arm, and the smile that parted Daryl's lips was one he had never seen before.

"She got a name yet?" Hershel asked.

"Adaline," Beth said with a smile. "Adaline Rose Dixon."

"That's real pretty," he said and took the chair near the window.

For several minutes, they sat in silence, and he watched Daryl turned towards Beth with the baby. It did his heart good to see that much love reflected in their eyes. That was all he wanted for any of this children, and Beth had found it in the most unlikely place, a bar in the middle of the woods.

Like he told them months ago, he knew everything that went on in this town, and that included the shock of several older men when Beth Greene had drug Daryl Dixon out of that hole in the wall after sharing a few drinks.

He smirked and looked out the window.

Maybe some good things came out of moonshine after all.

* * *

A/N: This is the last pre-written chapter for Liquid Courage. I do love writing in this world so much, though! I have a couple ideas that I plan on getting down for them, but if there's an outtake or futuretake that you'd like to see, leave it in a review, and I'll make a master list to work through!


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

* * *

The biggest challenges of Daryl's life so far were being a father and husband. Not that he had the piece of paper yet, but he considered himself that to Beth.

Adeline was cute as hell, and even now she had a little smile that got her whatever she wanted as soon as she wanted it. Her cry did the same thing, too.

The child was spoiled rotten.

He loved her, though. More than he had ever thought he would ever love someone besides Beth. His little girl was everything to him, and it always surprised him that he managed to feel anything like what he was feeling.

He had never had a family that gave two shits about him, and he just figured that it was ingrained in him to be a terrible father, too. As he held Adeline and watched her smile at him or pat his cheeks, he didn't think he was doing too bad at all.

"Babe," Beth called from the kitchen. "Is hotdogs okay?"

He held Addy on his lap and was popping his lips at her to make her laugh.

"Don't matter to me," he said back. "Ya get green beans, little lady. Only tha finest," he said with a grin.

Truth of it was, that was pretty much the only thing she ate really well besides applesauce. Beth got it in her head early on that she was going to make the baby food instead of buying it. She said it would cost them less money, but after spending nearly a hundred dollars on a baby food steamer and puree machine then the cost of all the fresh vegetables and fruit, he seriously doubted it.

He would never mention it out loud to Beth, though. She had taken on a high-strung approach to the baby at first. She nursed her exclusively, not a bottle in sight, and even tried to get him into buying a starter kit of cloth diapers. That was when he put his foot down, and she promptly shut the bedroom door in his face.

Daryl didn't understand it all at first, but as the first few weeks wore on, he realized that something was going on with Beth, but he didn't know shit about women and childbirth and the after part.

He was gone nearly all day, and when he came home, they both seemed happy as hell to see him. She was always stressed out, though. Always on edge. It all came to a head when he came home early from work and saw her in the middle of a breakdown while the baby was napping.

_"What's wrong? Where's Adeline?" He had asked in a panicked voice._

_Beth tried to wipe her eyes and cheeks clear, but she gave up just as quickly. "I don't know what I'm doin', Daryl. I cain't stop cryin'."_

_"Is tha baby okay?" He asked again, slowly, as he sat down on the coffee table in front of her._

_"She's fine. I just think I'm doin' all this wrong. She cries sometimes, and I don't know how to help her, but when she's with you, she never cries. And I read this article online that said that we shouldn't give her the shots when we go to the doctor because they'll make her sick later on in her life, but we've already given them to her twice! What if we've messed her up, and we didn't even know it because I'm such a terrible parent that I didn't even ask. I just did it!"_

_He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly. "Good Lord," he muttered. "She's gonna be fine."_

_"And I feel like there's this weight on my chest," she said. "I cain't breath."_

_"You're worryin' yaself to death," Daryl said and sighed. "Ya cain't freak out over shit. Tha doctor said she was fine. She's right where she should be."_

_"What if I'm a terrible mom?" She cried against his shirt, and Daryl rocked her from side-to-side._

_He tilted her head back and made her look at him in the eyes. "You're a great mom," he said seriously. "I ain't an expert, but I know there's different ways of doin' shit, and raisin' a kid ain't no different. Ya don't gotta be like these moms ya read about on tha computer. You're a good mom, but maybe ya can share tha load a little more?" He asked quietly. "Buy a pump and have a bottle or two ready for me. Go eat lunch with your sister. Let me help ya and give ya some time to yourself. Everyone needs that Beth. Ain't nothin' wrong with it."_

_By the end of that, she was crying harder and nodding._

_"Ya ain't alone, sweetheart," he whispered. "Me and her get along pretty fuckin' well if ya hadn't noticed."_

After that day, Beth let go of the babying a little bit at a time. Her daddy gave her money to buy the breast pump since they didn't have it at the time, and she started letting Daryl give her a bottle when he got home from work.

He liked feeding his daughter.

They would sit on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table while she drank her milk, and he watched the news. Beth would cook dinner, and everything started to even out.

When she started making the baby food, Daryl helped her skin the apples and cut up everything. Then, while she poured it into ice trays, he would go ahead and label the baggies they would go in after they were done.

His only regret was the he hadn't noticed her falling apart before Addy was four months old.

Beth laughed softly and peaked around the doorframe, bringing him out of the past. "It was supposed to be enchiladas, but I forgot tha tortillas."

Daryl snorted. "Mommy brain?" He asked and stood up with the baby.

"Yeah, even if it's on tha list, I still forget somethin'."

He leaned down and kissed her softly. "If ya really want that, me and little miss can drive down to tha store real fast."

Beth shook her head. "I'll just go tomorrow. It's not a big deal."

"Okay," he nodded. "Or I can stop by tha store on tha way home from work and get 'em."

"I think me and Adeline need to get out of tha house tomorrow for a little while, so we'll just do it. Maybe run over to daddy's and see him for a bit."

Daryl looked down at the baby and asked, "Ya wanna go see G?"

She flailed her hands a little, but he figured that was mostly because he was looking at her and talking in a stupid voice. He did that with her before he even realized he was doing it, and Beth never made fun of him, but it wasn't like he did it in public or anything.

He was just about to kiss Beth again when there was a knock on the door. Daryl pulled away and went down the hallway, shifting Adeline from his right side to his left before opening the door to their little apartment.

"How 'bout a hug for Uncle Merle," his brother said with a wide grin.

Daryl stood stunned for a second then asked, "What tha hell are ya doin' out? I thought ya still had a coupla months."

Merle shrugged and sat down his duffle bag. "Good behavior."

"That'd be a fuckin' first," Daryl snarked and stood firm in the doorway.

A strained silence settled over them, and Daryl didn't know what to say. He knew Beth had come up behind him, but he wasn't sure if she would be able to get him to move and let Merle in. He still wasn't sure he forgave him for what he had done before getting locked up.

Merle shifted uncomfortably then cleared his throat. "I'm clean," he said. "Swear to God. I didn't touch anythin' while I's inside. I ain't gonna do it now that I'm out." He let out a deep sigh like what he was about to say caused him physical fucking pain, then said, 'M sorry for before."

"Ya cain't do that shit around Adeline." Daryl said and looked from the baby who was tugging on the collar of his shirt to his brother.

"I just said I's clean, damn."

"Language," Beth said from his side.

Merle laughed "Now, that'll be a fuckin' problem."

Beth shook her head. "As long as ya try."

Daryl backed up and waved Merle inside. "We're havin' hot dogs for supper."

"Sounds like a dream."

* * *

Merle sat down on the couch beside Daryl and held out his hands. "Let me see that little girl."

Daryl handed her over, and Merle stared at her for a little bit. "I guess I can see ya there a little," he muttered.

Daryl grunted as he started to chew on his thumbnail. "She's got my hair and chin," he mumbled. "Sorta think she looks like that baby picture we had of momma, ya know?"

Merle hummed. "I can see that. That just means she looks like you. You got tha soft features, and I ended up lookin' like daddy."

Addy babbled a little and waved her hands around like she was excited.

"She's cute," he said quietly.

His brother nodded from beside him but didn't say anything. Merle took the opportunity to take her in.

Dark brown hair and blue eyes. A toothless grin with a dimple in one cheek.

Merle hadn't been around a lot of babies, and he had never thought there was much to them, but as she bounced around in his arms and made baby noises, he figured she must be something special.

He turned her around and had her leaned against his shoulder before he put his feet up on the table in front of him just like Daryl then snatched the remote from Daryl's hand.

"Callin' dibs on this," he said and started clicking through the channels with his niece tucked against his side. "What'd ya wanna watch Addy Rose?"

He ignored Daryl's stare and settled on a show where they went around picking old shit out of houses then stiffed the guy they were buying it from so they could make a profit. Didn't sound like too bad a gig. He couldn't probably do something like that if he wanted.

Soon, Beth brought them plates of food and a couple of beers before she took Addy from him and went to the recliner across the room. She had a cover over her shirt and weird 'c' shaped pillow on her lap. He was about to ask her what she was going to do when she lift the cover and tucked the baby inside then covertly moving up her shirt under the cover.

He looked away feeling the tips of his ears heating up. It wasn't everyday that Merle got a little flustered, but he thought she would have at least gone into another room with him there, but she was covered up and watching the show.

Occasionally, she would speak to the baby as she looked through the neck hole of the shawl.

"Ya can stop starin'," Daryl muttered.

Merle punched his shoulder and made some of the beer slosh out of the bottle onto Daryl's hand. Beth looked over at them with a smile. Merle turned away from her and fixed his eyes on the television.

"It's just weird," he whispered.

Daryl snorted and finished his hot dog. When he was done, he took his plate to the kitchen and Merle called out for him to bring him another beer. A couple of minutes later, he came out of the kitchen, a couple of hot dogs on his plate and new beer for Merle. He sat the plate by Beth and took the baby from her hands then gave the beer to Merle.

The scene was damn domestic and easy. He wondered for the hundredth time how Daryl learned all this, to be a father and soon-to-be husband.

Daryl pulled up a short chair for the baby and sat her inside then buckled her in. He held a small contained of green mush and began slowly feeding the little girl, bit by bit until a good portion of it was gone.

"She's done tapped out early tonight," Daryl said and grinned a little. He turned to Merle "She usually eats a whole lot."

"Must've filled up on tha tit," Merle said and leaned back, taking a drink of his beer. "Thanks for tha food, Beth." The alcohol was seeping into his system a little faster than it normally would have seeing how he hadn't had a thing in his system in months.

"You're welcome, Merle."

She took his plate away, and Daryl got the baby out of the high chair then pushed it back across the room.

"Y'all's place is pretty small," he said and noticed of the legs of the chair stuck out into the walkway between the kitchen and the living room.

"Yeah," Daryl said. "There's a real nice place for rent over on Pine Street, but we're havin' to wait to hear back from tha landlord."

"Why?" Merle asked.

Daryl raised an eyebrow. "Why'd ya think?"

He nodded.

The last name on that application was Dixon, and Dixons tore up shit.

"If I don't hear nothin' back by lunch tomorrow, I'm gonna give 'em a call. Beth really liked it, and it wasn't too expensive either."

"I can go talk to tha guy if ya want," he offered with a smirk.

"Think that's tha opposite of what we need."

Daryl ended up sitting on the couch with him for a couple more hours after Beth got the baby to bed then went to sleep herself.

The television was going, but neither one of them was paying too much attention. Daryl had stopped drinking after one beer, but Merle finished off the six-pack. He was feeling a little buzzed, and he turned toward his brother.

"This life looks good on ya," he said sincerely.

Daryl looked at him, and after a second, he nodded. "I feel real lucky."

"Think I need to stick around here, though." Merle cleared his throat. "She's a pretty little thang. Need to scare tha pricks off when she's older."

"Right?" Daryl said with a sigh. "Don't need her endin' up with someone like me."

"Nah, baby brother, you're good. Always have been. Don't need her to end up with someone like _me_."

Daryl stared at him hard for several seconds, and he blamed the beer for making him so loose lipped, but the last few months he had a lot of time to think. He had gotten letters and pictures from Beth. They sent him a few dollars here and there for his account so he could buy stuff in the commissary.

"Ya can stay here until ya get on your feet," Daryl said quietly.

It went against everything inside of him to stay here and take his brother's charity, but if he was going to straighten his shit up, he would need to do it.

"Yeah, thank ya," Merle said and sat his empty beer bottle on the table.

It wasn't much later that Daryl went to bed and left him laying out in the living room. The television was off, and there was no light coming from the windows. He was close to falling asleep when the baby started crying. The walls were thin, so it was like she was right there in the same room with him.

Then he heard Beth singing, and the cries quieted down until everything was silent again.

Maybe she had saved Daryl and him both. He wasn't sure. He knew he didn't deserve her kindness, but she gave it anyway. She didn't offer him food—she just made him a plate. She never asked if he needed a little extra money—she had just sent it.

That was who she was, though.

And he owed it to her and his brother to make an effort this time around.


End file.
